Quotations and Literature Forum

Thanks the Gods.

What does Christmas mean to you?

For me, it's when my bank manager thinks I'm a deity, every time he sees me, he buries his face in his hands and mutters 'Oh God'.

This year I got THE present (already) My lad, Patrick, was overheard telling one of the 'big kids', quite forcefully, to stop swearing around the little kids and girls. The pride I feel is priceless.

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السلام عليكم

DSW you have good cause to be proud, but it strikes me that lad has had some outstandingly good upbringing to react that way. G'donya, Ma and Pa

This particular Christmas is extra special as all my close family are safe and well, even though not together here in Oz.
I've somehow taken this for granted before, but in the middle of this year our youngest and newest family member was very ill indeed. This came out of the blue and we were all numb and so terribly scared for a long time, but a dedicated doctor and the Great Ormond Street Hospital fixed things up brilliantly. Now she will be stomping around, laughing and saying new words and able to rip away at those exciting parcels and that is the best present any of us could have wished for.

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The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)

Well, as a child, Christmas didn't mean much of anything to me, I was raised in a religion-free household, and all we got out of it was the present aspect. Now, it's sort of the peaceful time of the year to me. A chance to slow down and enjoy life, my favorite season, go out onto the deck, light a cigar, and watch the snow fall onto the ground. Plus, this year, my gift was a new record player, so I'll be in a nostalgia coma most of this holiday season.

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"The sun rises every day. What is to love? Lock the sun in a box. Force the sun to overcome adversity in order to rise. THEN, we will cheer! I often admire a beautiful sunrise, but I will never consider the sun a champion for having risen."
Garth Stein

Well, I don't have any kids and I live in the desert southwest of the U.S., so xmas is basically that time of year when it's cold. Winter solstice time. That's about it. (said the grinch from New Mexico)

But hey, it did snow here recently, and that was super cool.

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Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
~Bertrand Russell

well, it meant nothing, as expected, when i was a muslim. now, i'm an atheist (but i like living like a shamanist. so i can't even manage to be a good atheist nor i was a good muslim. ) and my girlfriend is a -somehow- pious orthodox. so, christmas reminds me that, when i dream about the future, it's quite hard to have a "future", even. it reminds me of christianity, christianity reminds me that she won't marry me if i don't accept to be baptised, even if i accept, we can't marry because she would like to raise her children as christians. a marriage is still a topic of far future, i know, but one can't prevent himself from dreaming and worrying...

just i nowadays think that, if we remain as a couple for years, and one day break up just due to religion, i will always hate christmas.

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"God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
Voltaire

Interesting path that your life has taken, from muslin to atheist and now shamanist, but in love with an orthodox christian..

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Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
~Bertrand Russell

Bloody hell Tony, your path through life has more twists than enough! Are you allergic to simplicity?

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السلام عليكم

Anajo, DSW, i just call it evolution (:

but it seems my nationalist core is immune to any change

i was in Romania few days ago, and then again i thought the same: i saw innocent and ordinary people walking on the streets, i can't believe in a god who will cast them into everlasting flames just because they weren't born lucky enough. all non-Turks are already suffering from an unfortunate life, this should not continue in the next life

and DSW, at least women find it attractive "you have no idea girl, how many twists my life has... arrested, fought, read, fled, attacked, dodged bullets, slowly evolved from an ordinary pious racist to an intellectual (at least, trying to be intellectual ) nationalist..." sounds cool

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"God is a comedian, playing to an audience too afraid to laugh."
Voltaire

Even though Christmas for practicing Christians is a celebration of Christ's birth, it does follow on after Saturnalia, Yule and other Winter Solstice celebrations of the northern hemisphere.

So, for me overall it means a celebration to brighten the winter and wait for the new year coming . Now I'm in Oz it is a time to celebrate the sun and the start of holidays. In each case it means a time to smile with strangers when shopping, mellow up a little, think of friends and family who are far away, to enjoy the company of those who are near, join in love and laughter together, and to look forward with hope to what life brings next.

So, in this spirit to all fellow QP'ers and especially to my particular virtual friends here

A VERY HAPPY CHRISTMAS

from


Gumtree

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The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)

Just read the new posts, Tony, you crack me up you may sometimes sound like doom and gloom, but you've got a fantastic sense of humour

I do hope you remember this in 20 years time and will have a gentle laugh at your young self. Any of you others who are around then, please see if you can remind him

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The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)

Alas, Gumtree, you have placed me right smack in the centre (note my nod to the way you and DSW and others misspell some words) of the xmas spirit.

So Merry Christmas to all Muslims, Christians, Heathens, Atheists, and whatever else, here on the Fluff Forum.

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Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
~Bertrand Russell

Or for the Pagans and Jews:

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Collective fear stimulates herd instinct, and tends to produce ferocity toward those who are not regarded as members of the herd.
~Bertrand Russell

Love them both - Anajo, you are a star at brightening up the pages
(even if you have programs and centers)

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The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)

hello,everyone.Nice to meet you.I am a Chinese.You know,we don't celebrate the xmas. But these years,with the opening policy ,people in several big cities and those who like to celebrate the western festival . For me ,i had been raised certain years when i was a little child. At that time,we also spent the xmas with our classmates and friends in peer.But we just sent christmas cards,and maybe bought a little christmas trees to decorate. Then nothing. To some degree,we just celebrate it for fun,no much other meanning.
Of course,we regard The Spring Festival as you do with The Xmas!!!

Welcome to the Forum, MissJustET and thank you for telling us about Christmas in China. Please tell us more about Spring Festival. In Australia some cities, especially Melbourne, have celebrations for it. I think we know it better as Chinese New Year, as it is in our summer.

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The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
e e cummings (1894 - 1962)